-Ratings Breakdown:
CBS, as expected, was the network to beat care of Thursday Night Football. The Houston Texans at New England Patriots match-up scored an estimated 9.7 rating/16 share in the metered market households for the primetime portion (from 8:30-11 p.m.). An almost duplicate overnight performance for football on the year-ago evening (Washington at the New York Giants) translated into 16.88 million viewers and a 6.0 rating/20 share in adults 18-49, based on the Live + Same Day data.

Earlier in the evening on CBS was the NFL Kick-off at a 5.4/10 in the overnights in the 8 p.m. half-hour. As a reminder, results for any live sporting event are always approximate.

On ABC, the 13th season of “Grey’s Anatomy” (yes…13!) opened with a second-place 6.2/10 from 8-9 p.m., which was 13 percent below the 7.1/12 season-premiere on the year-ago evening. Comparably, that 7.1 overnight rating translated into 9.55 million viewers and a 2.8/10 in adults 18-49 (based on the Live + Same Day data).

Next on ABC was the series-premiere of drama “Notorious,” which dipped to third in the 9 p.m. hour with a disappointing 4.1/ 7. Comparably, this was a hefty 47 percent below the 7.7/12 for the season-premiere of former time period occupant “Scandal” one year earlier. And the overnight erosion out of the 8:30 p.m. portion of “Grey’s Anatomy” (6.2/10) was 34 percent. Since most new series drop 10 to 20 percent in week two, consider this a losing overnight performance for the “Notorious” opener.

Airing out of “Notorious” was the third season-premiere of “How To Get Away With Murder” at a third-place 3.9/ 7 at 10 p.m. Comparably, that trailed the season-premiere of NBC’s competing “The Blacklist” (#2: 4.4/ 8) by 11 percent, and it was 40 percent below the 6.5/11 for the year-ago season premiere.

Relocated “The Blacklist” on NBC, meanwhile, slipped by 17 percent in the overnights from the 5.3/ 8 for its year-ago season opener in the Thursday 9 p.m. hour on Oct. 1, 2015.

Earlier in the evening on NBC was the sophomore season-premiere of sitcom “Superstore” at a 3.7/ 6 (#3) at 8 p.m. into a 3.5/ 6 (#3) at 8:30 p.m. for the time period premiere of new comedy “The Good Place.” While certainly not impressive sounding, “Superstore” lifted NBC to its highest overnights in the Thursday 8 p.m. half-hour since Oct. 1, 2015 (with “Heroes Reborn”). And the overnight retention for “The Good Place” out of “Superstore” was 95 percent.

Next on NBC was the second season premiere of relocated “Chicago Med” at a 4.6/ 7 at 9 p.m., which built from “The Good Place” by 31 percent.

Over at Fox, relocated “Rosewood” failed to impress with a 2.8/ 5 (#4) from 8-9 p.m., which was 26 percent below the 3.8/ 6 for the season-premiere for former time period occupant “Bones” on Oct. 1, 2015. “Rosewood” led into the series-premiere of drama “Pitch,” which could only manage a fourth-place 3.1/ 5 at 9 p.m. Since most new series drop in week two by double-digit percentages, do not expect much for “Pitch” next week…or beyond.

That is surprising for Pitch. I thought it would do much better with the cross-promotion on FOX.

Not surprised about Notorious and HTGAWM. That was the single worst programming decision of the new season. I can understand the dilemma ABC was in with Scandal/Kerry W, etc. but to sandwich two of their best dramas with a poor imitation of a Shonda show as the night’s anchor has threatened to take down the entire night – a night it used to own. I like Dungey, but this was her first major misstep.

ABC never did that well on Thursday. HTGAWM was already ratings-dead last season and Scandal is not much better (my contention is that with someone better than Kerry Washington it may have been a real hit).

A Canadian TV critic wrote a scathing review of Notorious yesterday, calling it “the worst of the worst”. He was near correct. It was just awful. The black lawyer…great. His brother, the lead lawyer? Totally miscast. To quote one TV executive; “it is horrible”.